Fantasy: After transmigrating, I effortlessly became a god.

Chapter 72 The Leader's Identity

In the darkness, Zheng Qian led more than a thousand people on a frantic twenty-mile run, and Jin Jindao was so exhausted that he was foaming at the mouth.

"Inspector Zheng, let's rest, let's rest for a while, we really can't run anymore."

"Take a one-minute break."

Zheng Qian immediately ordered a rest. They had already reached the foot of Malan Mountain and were ready to venture into this vast mountain range at any time.

Jin Jindao crept up to Zheng Qian and whispered, "Inspector Zheng, I can't run anymore, I need to ride a horse."

He tossed the horse reins to Jin Jindao, saying, "It's yours now."

Jin Jindao's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected Zheng Qian to be so easy to talk to. He gripped the horse's reins tightly.

"Now it's mine, and no one can take it away from me, not even you."

Zheng Qian promised, "Don't worry, I won't rob you."

Jin Jindao was overjoyed; he finally had a horse!

As the owner of the Jin Dao shop and the person in charge of the South Gate, everyone had to respectfully call him Boss Jin. It would be too damaging to his reputation if he kept running on foot behind the horse.

"Inspector Zheng, which way should we go now?"

He Zuowen also came over, and Qin Yong also woke up from his coma. All the wounds on his body were bandaged. The four leaders had all gathered together.

Pointing into the depths of Malanshan, Zheng Qian smiled mysteriously, "Put out the torches and sneak into the mountains in the dark. Find a place to rest first, then we'll talk. The Red Turban Army may be here soon."

After saying that, he took the lead and walked into the depths of Malanshan.

Jin Jindao stood frozen in place, holding the horse's reins, watching Zheng Qian's retreating figure and wanting to curse.

On flat roads, you let me ride; but on mountain roads where I can't ride, you make me lead the horse. Isn't that funny?

Zheng Qian, you can't play like this.

"Inspector Zheng, I don't want the horse anymore, here you go."

"No, I'm giving it to you now, no take-backs."

Jin Jindao was furious, and then he thought, "Zheng Qian is such a good fighter, it's not unreasonable for me to get angry, is it?"

Jin Jindao was a master at the peak of the Bone Refining Realm, and traveling a hundred miles was nothing to him; this journey was not difficult for him.

In the pitch-black night and on the mountain road, they were unable to ride horses and had to trudge through the jungle, making their march very slow and difficult.

They hadn't gone far when they heard the sound of Red Turban Army soldiers riding horses.

Night provided the best camouflage, and the Red Turban Army continued their frantic run, completely unaware that the people they were chasing had already entered the deep mountains.

It wasn't until the second watch of the night that Zheng Qian and his men arrived at the first bandit stronghold, the Tu Shan Gang.

Whoosh... Boom...

A huge rock smashed through the gate of the Tu Family Gang, and the members of the Tu Family Gang were quickly awakened from their sleep and gathered at the gate.

Upon seeing the thousands of Changwu soldiers, Tu Zhancheng was immediately terrified, his legs went weak, and his face turned pale.

"Inspector Zheng, what's going on? Our Tu family gang hasn't offended you!" Tu Zhancheng forced a smile, trying to ease the tension, but his trembling voice betrayed his inner panic.

As the closest bandits to Lüchang County, they had been keeping a close eye on news from Lüchang County. Apart from the fact that Zheng Qian and his group broke out of the city tonight, they knew the general outline of everything else. Therefore, they knew that Zheng Qian had become the patrol inspector.

Zheng Qian glanced at him coldly, offering no reply. He simply waved his hand, and the Changwu Army surged into the Tu family's stronghold like wolves. Tu Zhancheng and his men exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what would happen next.

“Inspector Zheng, although our Tu family gang is small, we have always been law-abiding and have never done anything to harm the people. Do you think there is some misunderstanding?” Tu Zhancheng stepped forward, forcing himself to explain.

Zheng Qian stopped and turned to look at him, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes. "Tu Zhancheng, do you really think I don't know what your Tu family gang has done? Oppressing the people, robbing property, even murdering and plundering—do you think you can hide these things from me?"

Tu Zhancheng's face turned pale. He knew that what Zheng Qian said was true, but this was how these small bandits survived. Without power, they could only rely on oppressing the people to make a living.

"Inspector Zheng, we..." Tu Zhancheng wanted to say something, but Zheng Qian had already impatiently waved his hand to interrupt him.

"Summon all of you to the middle of the mountain stronghold, set up cooking pots, and make room for rest. If there is anything that my Changwu Army is not satisfied with, the entire Tu family gang will be wiped out!" Zheng Qian's voice was cold and firm, as if it came from hell.

"Yes, mission accomplished." Tu Zhancheng gave an awkward military salute, then instructed everyone to prepare food and make all the houses available for the Changwu Army to rest in.

The Tu family gang, consisting of over a hundred people, began preparing food in the middle of the courtyard. The Changwu army, exhausted and hungry after a night of raiding, needed rest and food. Gathering the Tu family gang together would make it easier to keep an eye on them and ensure that no trouble would occur.

"Inspector Zheng, what's your plan next?" He Zuowen asked Zheng Qian patiently. He was really unhappy. Zheng Qian had done too many things behind his back. Just now, Tu Zhancheng only recognized Inspector Zheng and not Magistrate He. What did that mean?

"It depends on whether you tell the truth or not."

Bang.

He slammed his hand on the table, furious. "Why did you lead everyone to abandon the city and break out of the siege? You didn't even give us time to think. You came up the mountain in the middle of the night to feed the mosquitoes. What truth do you expect me to tell you?"

I am a dignified county magistrate, the local official in charge of the people. I gave you this position as inspector, so what kind of truth do you want to hear?

This is He Zuowen's idea: you are my subordinate, and seizing power is already a major taboo. If it weren't for the special circumstances, you would have been finished long ago.

Zheng Qian's eyes were bloodshot. "Magistrate He, if we don't break through, everyone will die in the city. I don't want to talk about these things anymore. Now I only have two questions for you. First, do we have to rely on the Fourth Prince? Second, who is our leader?"

These two questions had been troubling Zheng Qian. Magistrate He said that Zheng Le had started a rebellion in the north and that he was a man of the Fourth Prince. Zheng Qian wanted to confirm this, but he couldn't say it outright.

The second question Zheng Qian also wanted to know was: the leader promised to withdraw the troops, and they relaxed their own guards, but they even let the Changwu army drink to relieve the pressure of defending the city. How much trust did they have to dare to be so presumptuous?

Most importantly, the leader has been focusing his attacks on the north gate, while the other three gates have only seen minor skirmishes, as if the leader has a grudge against him. This gave him a hunch, but he still needed Magistrate He to confirm his suspicions.

He Zuowen remained silent, Qin Yong remained silent, and Jin Jindao also remained silent.

Of the four, the other three were veterans of Lvchang County, while Zheng Qian was a newcomer and naturally unaware of their secret.

No wonder Zheng Qian seized power and secretly devised an escape plan behind my back; it turns out he didn't trust me.

He Zuowen took a deep breath before slowly saying, "Two years ago, we pledged allegiance to the Fourth Prince and completely offended the First Prince. There is no turning back now."

Zheng Qian looked at Qin Yong and Jin Jindao, and they both nodded. They knew about this matter, after all, they were trusted confidants promoted by Magistrate He.

This time, Zheng Qian fell silent. After a long while, he asked, "Haven't you considered not siding with the Fourth Prince?"

The three looked at him in confusion. "If we don't pledge allegiance to the Fourth Prince, are we supposed to pledge allegiance to the Sixth Prince?"

"No, I've heard the Sixth Prince is unreliable."

"There is no other choice but to go down this path to the bitter end."

Alright, Zheng Qian won't say any more. This guy has no ambition, he doesn't care about power or money, so he's not interested in anything else.

He really wanted to stomp on the table and shout: "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?!"

Thinking about it, even emperors have to get up early and work late every day to handle state affairs. How can that compare to traveling the world with a sword, seeing the scenery of the world, and admiring the beauties of the world?

Now he only had one question left: "Who is the leader?"

He Zuowen looked at Zheng Qian, "Hua Feng's eldest son, the eldest son of the Biqiang Sect, Hua Zhongcheng."